Carl steffen



(No Model.)

C. STEPPEN. APPARATUS POB. PRODUGING WHITE SUGAR. No. 441,076. Patented Nov. 18, 1890.

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mnu q Illglll' In |gil QN NITED STATES ATENT ,FF-ICL ,APPARATUS FOR PRODUClNG WHITE SUG-AR.

SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,076, dated November 18,

Application filed August l0, 1889. Serial No. 320,347.

(No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL STEFFEN, of Ithe city of Vienna, Austria-Hungary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Producing fhite Sugar, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to the construction of an improved apparatus for producing white sugar from sugar mass by purifying the sugar crystals in the said mass from the sirup adhering to the said crystals.

The process ot' reiining the sugar crystals is effected by means of a saturated aqueous solution of pure sugar, which is fed over the sugar mass to be lixiviated, so as to take up and carry oft the sirup adhering to the crystals and produce a pure White sugar entirely .free from sirup. The lixiviating-fluid, which has become impure by the admixture of sirup washed off the sugarlcrystals, is driven off by a fresh quantity of liXiviating-iiuid, which is either forced or sucked through the sugar mass to be refined.

In order to carry out my said process for producing white sugar, I employ the apparatus represented in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, and Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are sections of details, of the apparatus.

The apparatus, denominated the lixiviating-battery in the following description, consists of a series of sets or groups A B C of vessels of like form, the accompanying drawings representing the same, as sugar-loaf molds a to a.v The single molds are in connection with a common tube b b2 b3, which said tube is connected to the main supplypipe c for the lixiviating-iiuid by means of the pipes d cl2 d3. The separate vessels or molds a are brought into connection with the pipes h', &c., by means of the hollow spindle f, connected to the air-tight cover cV of each vessel or mold, which spindle carries a handwheel or its equivalent h, and is provided with screw-threads and guided in an appropriate stufIing-box. The arrangement is such that when the lid or cover e is perfectly closed communication is established between the pipe b', &c., and the vessel a (or the free space in the same above the mass of sugar to be treated) by means of the oriice g of the piece Asupply-pipe of tubing g and the boring f of the hollow spindle f. The lower ends of the molds a fit into sockets of the tube t" 2 i3, Fig. 3, said pipes or tubes being provided with cocks or valves 4 5 6, dac., and outlet-nozzles j 3'2 js for drawing off the liXiviating-fluid into vessels It k2 to k3. The connection of the pipes or tubes for attaining a systematic lixiviation, as represented in Fig. 1, is so arranged that the pipe t" of the iirst group A of molds is, by means of the pipe l', connected to the b2 of the second group or set B of molds, the drain-pipe of this second set or group of molds with the supply-pipe of the third set or group C of molds, and so on until the liXiviating-fluid passes into the drain-pipe '3 of the. last set or group of molds, which in its turn is in communication with the pipe b of the rst set or group of molds through the pipe or tube Z3. Each of the supply-pipes b' b2 b3 communicates through the branch pipes fm m2 m3 with a supply-pipe for compressed air, which is admitted as soon as the supply of lixiviating-Huid is cut off in order to press the fluid remaining in the molds out of the same and thus permit the refined sugar to be removed from the set or groupof molds placed out of operation in comparatively dry condition. The pipes d', &c., and fm', &c., for the supply of lixiviating or refining fluid and compressed air, respectively, and also the outlet-pipes j, 85e., and drain-pipes t', &c., and the tubes or pipes l', &c., for connecting the supply-pipes &c., are provided with cocks or valve other equivalent devices marked in numbers or figures, and are opened or closed according to the requirements of the operation.

The operation of the apparatus is as fol` lows: If an apparatus of substantially the construction represented in the accompanying drawings is to be set' in operation and all the molds are filled with sugar to be refined if pulpy granular sugar mass is used, the sieves having been previous to charging the molds inserted in the same, only the cock 0r valve I of the tube d', which leads to the supply-pipe h of the irst set or group of molds in the series, and the cocks or valves 7 and S are opened, whereas all the others remain closed. The lixiviating or refining fluid flows uniformly above the sugar in all the molds or IOO vessels of the firstgroup or set u, then through the pipes t" and Z into the supply-pipe b2 for the second set or group of molds or vessels, through all such said vessels, and so onward 5 until the said fluid has passed through all the molds of the last set or group, when the liXiviating-fiuid, highly impurified by the sirup separated from the crystals of the sugar under treatment, is allowed to HOW off Io through the outlet ,7'3 into the vessel 7c3. As soon as the sugar in the molds of the first group or set has been refined to the grade of purity desired, the cock I, leading from the main c to the supply-pipe b is closed and the cock 10 opened, so that the oompressed air can compress the Huid still remaining in the sugar out of the molds, Whereupon the cock l0 is closed. The molds containing the refined sugar can now be removed zo and the molds or Vessels containing a fresh chargeof sugar to be refined by lixiviation inserted, so that this set, Which on commencing work was the primary set, now becomes the last set in the series of sets or groups forming the battery. For this purpose the cocks 2 and 9 of the surface and the cock 4 of the outlet-pipe j are opened. The lixiviating-fluid flows through the connection 'd2 into the supply-pipe b2 through the molds 3o in this set ct, and, as aforesaid, through the remaining sets or groups of molds in the battery, the impure uid passing off through the outlet-pipe j into the vessel or receiver K. As soon as the refining process is, com- 3 5 plete in the second group or set of molds or vessels in the battery, the same are, as aforesaid With reference to the first group or set, removed and replaced by another set containing impure sugar, so that this second set 4o or group of molds now forms the last, While the third series or group of molds represents and so on through the or groups of molds in the rst set or group, entire number of sets the battery. The process is thus carried out in continuous systematic manner, the first set or group of molds or those longest under treatment in the one operation being exchanged a for new set of freshly-charged molds or vessels, so that the same forms the last set or group for t-he circulating-duid in the next operation, from whence the said fiuid is al lowed to escape in a very impure state into the Vessel or receiverlocated beneath the said set or group of molds.

The form and number of the vessels or molds in a set or group, or the members of sets or groups in the vseries forming the battery, can be chosen according to requirements, the most importance being attached to the arrangement of the vessels in sets or groups, because in this manner an advantageous operation of the lixiviating or relining fluid on the sugar under treatment is attained.

Having now fully described my said invention, what I claim is- 4 In an apparatus for refining sugar in the mold, the combination of a plurality of simultaneouslyoperating sets or groups of molds or vessels, a main supply-pipe connected With each set, a drain-pipe for each of said sets, a connection between the drainpipe of one set and the supply of the next set, a compressed-ai r pipe connected with the upper end of each ot' said sets, and suitable Valves in said pipes, whereby any set may be made the first to receive the supply and the compressed air of a continuous circulation, substantially as set forth.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my naine in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CARL STEFFEN. Vitnesses:

ANTHONY STEFFEN, FRANZ KoLLM. 

